The present invention pertains to communication networks and more particularly to a network arrangement which permits the sharing of applications and service processing by both voice and data transmissions.
Modern communication networks separate voice and data (broadband) into two components which are separately handled. Various hardware and application handlers are written specifically for each of the different communication forms (voice and data). Such networks require complex handling and structure as well as the separate processing of the communication forms. A number of various users wish to transmit over various communications protocol voice and data through modern communication networks. Each different communication protocol requires separate handling by the communication network. The software which processes the communication information (packets) must be written in such a fashion as to handle the many different protocols input to the network. This makes for large, complex communication networks and software which operates these networks that is specifically tailored to handle each information protocol.
Such networks must be necessarily complex since they provide separate handling for each protocol of voice and data packets. Lack of commonality increases the amount of software which must be written to handle processing of the information through the network and an increase of real time to perform the required hand shaking with other networks. Complex operating software must be written for the networks which is protocol specific and is unable to share any common network services or applications.
What is needed is an arrangement for promoting the sharing of voice and data services by a network for commonly processing the voice and data information presented to the network.